Fitness programme after virus?

[Charlie_Boy]

Hey,
My gelding has just got over a really nasty virus that attacked his liver and so he is on low protein food and supplements like milk thistle. I'm trying to get him fit again and both vet and physio said he was fine to bring back into work. But i'm having a little bit of an issue with deciding how best to get him fit. He is 18hh and has stringhalt and shivers in one of his hind legs and this often causes him to rotate his pelvis. Any ideas as to how to strengthen his pelvis and muscle him correctly? I've already done it once but it took a good year and a lot of physio trips, so if i can strengthen the pelvis i'm hoping it will mean less of the physio!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I guess the answer is time and patience hun. If he's had problems with his liver, has he had a final blood test to confirm everything is ok, or are the vets just guessing? Damaged livers can recover (unless damaged by ragwort) but the liver has so many critical functions in the body that your horse will need gentle reintroduction to work. A standard fittening programme should be fine with weeks and weeks of walking, gradually increasing the amount from as little as 10 mins. If he was mine, I'd keep a diary note of his pulse and breathing rate the instant you get off at the end of a ride. If he seems to be struggling for breath and/or has an elevated heart rate, above what you'd expect for the amount of work, then I'd stop and wait a bit longer. Better to take it really really slowly than risk further problems by rushing. Any fittening programme should strengthen all his body and if it takes another year, so what?